Project: Howard Forest Management Project

Summary: The Medford District Bureau of Land Management, Ashland Resource Area (BLM) analyzed for forest
management activities, including commercial timber harvest utilizing ground based systems and
associated activity fuels treatments (638 acres), on BLM-administered Matrix lands in the Environmental
Assessment for the Howard Forest Management Project. Transportation management activities, including road maintenance and use (approximately 17 miles), temporary road construction (0.46 miles), road
decommissioning (1.37 miles), and long-term road closure (0.5 miles) were also analyzed. Proposed
activities are located mostly in the northwestern portion of the Jenny Creek watershed, a 5th Field Tier 1
Key Watershed within the Upper Klamath Subbasin. The total size of the Planning Area is 12,970 acres.
The BLM manages 5,594 acres (43%) within the Planning Area, and treatments are proposed on 11% of those lands.

Summary: This document describes my decision, and reasons for my decision, regarding the selection of a course of action to be implemented for the Howard Forest Management Project. The Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Howard Forest Management Project documented the environmental analysis conducted to estimate the site-specific effects on the human environment that may result from the implementation of the Howard proposal. The Howard EA was issued for public review on March 06, 2014. The EA public review period ended on April 05, 2014.

Summary: The Proposed Action would include commercial timber harvest utilizing ground based systems. Alternative 2, the proposed Action Alternative, also includes unit-specific activity fuels treatments. Under Alternative 2, an estimated 17 miles of existing roads would be used as haul routes and improved as needed to meet BLM standards, and construction of an estimated 0.5 mile of temporary roads would occur. The analysis also includes the proposal to decommission an estimated total length of 1.9 miles of existing roads.